FINAL PROJECT I chose to do a pictorial slideshow for my final project as I felt it summed up my three days of class quite nicely! I also found that teaching young children, I am often teaching with photographs. When teaching or discussing pictures or photos with children they are learning about shapes, the position of things in space and whole/part relationships. This involves math, language, art and science skills. Teaching with photos also allows children to investigate the familiar world from a new perspective. Close up photos, such as the photos of the shell, seaweed and sand dollar, engage children’s curiosity and encourage them to take a closer look at a common object! I hope that you will enjoy the photos as well as the walk down Ocean Literacy Memory Lane! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQo8cLLdvJ0
4/10/11 Who would have thought that I would have felt more connected to my community after just one SHORT weekend? Afterall, Isn't that what Place Based Learning is all about? I was impressed and quite frankly amazed, to be hearing the same names on Sunday that we were hearing about on Friday; ie: Garrison, Cushing, Perkins, and Wheelwright. As I listened to each speaker and the familiar name or place was said, I could almost see the lightbulbs going off above everyones head! I adore that look....especially in a classroom. It shows that the student is connected, and I certainly felt connected, as well as engaged all weekend!
I enjoyed the tour of Spencer Pierce Little Farm and it's importance of farming in the 17th Century. It was interesting to learn facts like farming was so profitable because of the rich soil without rocks. These are little tidbits that local children may find interesting themselves!
My favorite part of the day was the visit to Lowell's Boat Shop. I am not a boater and surprised my family dramatically when I came home describing my experience.
Our guide's soft spoken manner, personal knowledge of the boats and obvious love of his trade, came through as he spoke.
Ghlee Woodworth's tour certainly summed up the weekend with the resting places of so many recognizable, local, and famous noteworthy individuals. I am lucky to have taken part in this weekend and look forward to sharing it with local students!
4/9/11
Today was FANTASTIC! I was excited, enthusiastic and didn't want it to end! It was the EXACT feeling that I would hope any student would feel during a lesson. I often tell the children that when they experience or "do" the activity, it is easier to remember and most likely more enjoyable! I certainly know that I preferred being in the field today as opposed to sitting insidea classroom. Especially on a beautiful Spring day!
Garry explained to us what a barrier island was, and although my Geology is BELOW simple, I'll try my best to explain it. A barrier island is a long narrow piece of land separated by a bay. It functions as coastal protection during storms and is home to several habitats. A barrier island has a beach, sand dunes with some shrubs and grasses, then a marsh, followed by the mainland.
A few animals and plants that live on Plum Island would be beach plum, bayberry, rosa rugosa, snowy owls, skunks, piping plovers and deer.
A Power Point with digital photos from a previous visit would be a good way to illustrate to a young classroom the items that they may be identifying during a field trip. For example:
I would use this photo, ask the students if they know what it is, and then explain that this may be an example of what may be found during a tide pool trip to Plum Island. We also would talk about it's properties, why it looks camouflaged, etc....
I found a great WebQuest for the Middle/High School Level this evening. It is entitled, "BARRIER ISLAND: TO BUILD OR NOT TO BUILD"
It instructs students to make an educated opinion whether or not people should build permanent structures on barrier islands. The link is: BARRIER ISLANDS: TO BUILD OR NOT TO BUILD?
Thanks for a great day!
4/8/11 Tonight was a great opportunity to be a "tourist" in my own community! What a shame that I had never been to the Cushing House Museum! How fortunate we are to have such rich culture in our own back yard?! The curator was a wealth of knowledge! My head was spinning with all the dates and information he shared, yet the point that I came away with was that without the Merrimack River, we wouldn't be here! From the Great Migration to the new church in Market Square, (as Garry said so wonderfully), "Everything that makes Newburyport, Newburyport, happened in about twenty-five years." I was drawn to Timothy Dexter and his eccentric ways. He indeed seemed to feel as though this was his land of opportunity. Did he not seem like a guy who lived life to the fullest? The fifth principle of Ocean Literacy, The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems, was meaningful to me because this allows for lifelong learning. I look forward to the opportunity to learn about, study and explore along with my students! ( I am particularly excited about tomorrows field study at Sandy Point!) Because the last grade levels I taught were K-2, I decided to use this level as the basis for answering my question regarding place-based education. This principle could be applied in the Kindergarten and First Grade classroom during Circle Time. By allotting time for NEWS OF THE DAY, the children would allowed to share their knowledge verbally.
4/4/11
My name is Arna Beaudoin and I am a certified Elementary Education teacher. I am currently not working as a teacher, but have maintained my certification. I have taught Kindergarten through Sixth Grade in the Pentucket Regional School District at The Page School and have been a Literacy Tutor at The Bagnall School in Groveland.
I have three children, the last of which is graduating fom high school in May. All three of my children have attended the Coastal Discoveries Camp and enjoyed it tremendously! I am married and live in West Newbury.
My life is connected to the ocean the same as any other human...we get some of our oxygen from the ocean, some of our food from the ocean, and the climate is regulated by the ocean. My husband and I enjoy the beauty of the ocean and wanted our children to grow up near the water; therefore we needed to teach them to respect as well as enjoy the sea! I am looking forward to learning how the ocean is truly connected to our lives and the lives of our students!
Arna's Page
FINAL PROJECT
I chose to do a pictorial slideshow for my final project as I felt it summed up my three days of class quite nicely! I also found that teaching young children, I am often teaching with photographs. When teaching or discussing pictures or photos with children they are learning about shapes, the position of things in space and whole/part relationships. This involves math, language, art and science skills. Teaching with photos also allows children to investigate the familiar world from a new perspective. Close up photos, such as the photos of the shell, seaweed and sand dollar, engage children’s curiosity and encourage them to take a closer look at a common object! I hope that you will enjoy the photos as well as the walk down Ocean Literacy Memory Lane!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQo8cLLdvJ0
4/10/11
Who would have thought that I would have felt more connected to my community after just one SHORT weekend? Afterall, Isn't that what Place Based Learning is all about?
I was impressed and quite frankly amazed, to be hearing the same names on Sunday that we were hearing about on Friday; ie: Garrison, Cushing, Perkins, and Wheelwright. As I listened to each speaker and the familiar name or place was said, I could almost see the lightbulbs going off above everyones head! I adore that look....especially in a classroom. It shows that the student is connected, and I certainly felt connected, as well as engaged all weekend!
I enjoyed the tour of Spencer Pierce Little Farm and it's importance of farming in the 17th Century. It was interesting to learn facts like farming was so profitable because of the rich soil without rocks. These are little tidbits that local children may find interesting themselves!
My favorite part of the day was the visit to Lowell's Boat Shop. I am not a boater and surprised my family dramatically when I came home describing my experience.
Our guide's soft spoken manner, personal knowledge of the boats and obvious love of his trade, came through as he spoke.
Ghlee Woodworth's tour certainly summed up the weekend with the resting places of so many recognizable, local, and famous noteworthy individuals. I am lucky to have taken part in this weekend and look forward to sharing it with local students!
4/9/11
Today was FANTASTIC! I was excited, enthusiastic and didn't want it to end! It was the EXACT feeling that I would hope any student would feel during a lesson. I often tell the children that when they experience or "do" the activity, it is easier to remember and most likely more enjoyable! I certainly know that I preferred being in the field today as opposed to sitting insidea classroom. Especially on a beautiful Spring day!
Garry explained to us what a barrier island was, and although my Geology is BELOW simple, I'll try my best to explain it. A barrier island is a long narrow piece of land separated by a bay. It functions as coastal protection during storms and is home to several habitats. A barrier island has a beach, sand dunes with some shrubs and grasses, then a marsh, followed by the mainland.
A few animals and plants that live on Plum Island would be beach plum, bayberry, rosa rugosa, snowy owls, skunks, piping plovers and deer.
A Power Point with digital photos from a previous visit would be a good way to illustrate to a young classroom the items that they may be identifying during a field trip. For example:
I would use this photo, ask the students if they know what it is, and then explain that this may be an example of what may be found during a tide pool trip to Plum Island. We also would talk about it's properties, why it looks camouflaged, etc....
I found a great WebQuest for the Middle/High School Level this evening. It is entitled, "BARRIER ISLAND: TO BUILD OR NOT TO BUILD"
It instructs students to make an educated opinion whether or not people should build permanent structures on barrier islands. The link is:
BARRIER ISLANDS: TO BUILD OR NOT TO BUILD?
Thanks for a great day!
4/8/11
Tonight was a great opportunity to be a "tourist" in my own community! What a shame that I had never been to the Cushing House Museum! How fortunate we are to have such rich culture in our own back yard?! The curator was a wealth of knowledge! My head was spinning with all the dates and information he shared, yet the point that I came away with was that without the Merrimack River, we wouldn't be here! From the Great Migration to the new church in Market Square, (as Garry said so wonderfully), "Everything that makes Newburyport, Newburyport, happened in about twenty-five years."
I was drawn to Timothy Dexter and his eccentric ways. He indeed seemed to feel as though this was his land of opportunity. Did he not seem like a guy who lived life to the fullest?
The fifth principle of Ocean Literacy, The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems, was meaningful to me because this allows for lifelong learning. I look forward to the opportunity to learn about, study and explore along with my students! ( I am particularly excited about tomorrows field study at Sandy Point!)
Because the last grade levels I taught were K-2, I decided to use this level as the basis for answering my question regarding place-based education. This principle could be applied in the Kindergarten and First Grade classroom during Circle Time. By allotting time for NEWS OF THE DAY, the children would allowed to share their knowledge verbally.
4/4/11
My name is Arna Beaudoin and I am a certified Elementary Education teacher. I am currently not working as a teacher, but have maintained my certification. I have taught Kindergarten through Sixth Grade in the Pentucket Regional School District at The Page School and have been a Literacy Tutor at The Bagnall School in Groveland.
I have three children, the last of which is graduating fom high school in May. All three of my children have attended the Coastal Discoveries Camp and enjoyed it tremendously! I am married and live in West Newbury.
My life is connected to the ocean the same as any other human...we get some of our oxygen from the ocean, some of our food from the ocean, and the climate is regulated by the ocean. My husband and I enjoy the beauty of the ocean and wanted our children to grow up near the water; therefore we needed to teach them to respect as well as enjoy the sea! I am looking forward to learning how the ocean is truly connected to our lives and the lives of our students!
See you all on Friday!